Vacuum cleaners commonly employ a downward-facing nozzle to apply suction to a carpet or other surface being cleaned. A long-standing difficulty with such an arrangement, however, is the inability to clean effectively in areas very close to a wall or other obstruction. For example, the edge of a carpeted area where it meets the wall often forms a crevice which tends to collect dirt and debris that conventional nozzle assemblies have difficulty removing.
Vacuum cleaner designers have attempted to deal with this problem by positioning the ends of the intake opening as close as possible to the lateral edges of the nozzle assembly. Even when the nozzle assembly is made as thin as possible, however, the end wall of the opening and the end support for the roller brush always create a gap that prevents the cleaning action from reaching into the crevice. In some instances, designs have small channels that extend laterally from the main airflow opening and under the roller brush end supports in an effort to generate some suction along the edges of the nozzle assembly, but these solutions often must be quite limited in size or else they will compromise the ability of the assembly to generate an upwards suction force with sufficient airflow when moving over the floor in areas away from the wall. Alternatively, many vacuum cleaners are provided with a separate “crack tool” or “crevice tool”, which can be a flat, narrow nozzle that is mounted on the end of a suction hose. Although these tools usually work adequately, they add an additional step to the edge-cleaning process.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a vacuum cleaner assembly that provides an effective cleaning action along at least one lateral edge thereof so as to effectively remove dirt and debris along the junctures between the floor and walls or other obstructions. Furthermore, there exists a need for such an assembly to provide effective edge-cleaning without compromising the ability of the assembly to provide a vertical suction against floor surfaces when cleaning in areas away from the wall. In addition, there exists a need for such an assembly that is structurally simple, economical to manufacture, and durable in use.